Combined folding sleeping-cot, automobile-cot, and litter.



J. L. STUART COMBINED FOLDING SLEEPING COT, AUTOMOBILE COT, AND LITI-ER.

Patented Apr. 30,1918.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 30' IGN- 1,264,574.

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J. L. STUART. COMBINED FOLDING SLEEPING COT, AUTOMOBILE COT, AND LITTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30.19I7- 1,264,574. Patented Apr. 30,1918.

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OOIB DIED FOLDING SLEEPIINGGOT, AUTOMOBILE-COT, AND LITTER.

Speelfleatlono! Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

Application filed July 80, 1817. Serial lie. 183,417.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joan Lemma S'rUAnT,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Folding Sleeping Cots, Automobile Cots, and' Litters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of cots, especially adapted, by reason of folding into small compass, to be conveniently carried about and transported.

The object of myinvention is to provide a cot of this class whichis adapted for so as an ordinary sleeping cot ora cot cap is of bein fitted upon and between the at backs 0 an automobile, or finally for use as a litter, said cot being foldable into small compass for transportation, readily .ed again for use, andwhen unfol ed being in. its frame, and capable of safely bearing its occupant without danger of col- .hipsing, whether under normal-conditions b sleepin or of being carried by bearers when as a litter.

To this end In invention consists in the novel cotwhich i shall now fully describe, by reference to the accompanying drawings,

.F 1 is a plan view of my cot, extended for use, art of the canvas or fabricfs'upit being roken away.

1 2 1s a top view, enlarged, of one of .85 the egs.

"Fig. 3 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view, enlar' ed, of the hinge joint of the side-rails, s owing it locked.

r Fig. 5 is a side view of the same, open.

ig. 6 is a side View of the cot SllOWll'lilli in the act of folding, the canvas support eomitted.

ig 7 is a fragmentary view of one end of the cot, with a leg flexed and folded down on the side rails, which are being brought to ether; the canvas being omitted.

ig. 8 isa side view of the cot showing the attachment to one of the legs of the adjustable foot rests adapting the cot for use in an automobile.

1 are the side rods or rails of the cot, and 2 is the canvas or other fabric support secured t9 the rails. The side rails midway of 66 their length, are jointed for folding. The

unfoldhead 7, and the other sleeve carries a keeper 8 with which the head ofthelatch arm engages. The relation of the hinge center and the latch and keeper engagement is such that when the rails are extended, as in Fig.

4, the joint is rigidl locked against pressure imposed upon t e cot, so that in this position the side rails are rigid throughout their length. But in folding the rail on the hinge center at 5, thelatch arm 6 withdraws its head 7 from the kee er 8, said head swinging out from the eeper about the hinge bolt 5 as a center, as in Fi 5. The locking and unlocking effect is ue to the location of the latch arm and keeper approximately directly underthe rails when in their extended or cot form, so that their engagement presents a direct resistance to and support for an imposed weight; and the location of the hinge center inwardly with respect to the latch", adapting the rails to fold in the plane rcqvired to withdraw the latch head from the keeper. 'There are three legs. All are bf a general bale like shape as seen in Fig. 3.

9 in Figs. 1 and 6 is the middle leg. Its extremities are pivotally carried on the hinge bolts 5 of the side rail joints, and it is jointed at its middle by a pin 10. Its 95 sections overlap and are locked against breaking upwardly by bevels, as seen at 11 in Figs. 2, 3 and 7 he joint is controlled and rendered rigid or free as desired by means of a sliding eper 12. The leg may therefore bend or ex at its middle, and by havin its extremities pivotally carried on the be ts 5 of the rail joints, it may also fold against the rails as in Figs. 6 and 7.

Near one end of the cot is a leg 18. Its ends are pivotally carried at 14 from brackets 15 fitted on the side rails. This log is jointed at its middle on a pin 16 and its overlapping portions are controlled by a sliding keeper 17. The leg 13- has the 1,1,9

. on a pin 22 and its overlapping portions are controlled by a sliding keeper 28. The leg thus has the two folding movements ofthe other legs. Laced slits 24, Fi 1, in the canvas 2 of the cot afl'ord rea y access to the slidable brackets of the leg 18, in order to adjust them.

upwardly thereby draw In the leg 18 near each side is a socket 25 into which is adjustably fitted by means of a thumb-screw 26, as seen in Fig. 8, an angle bracket 27. Upon each bracket is adjustably fitted by means ofa thumb-screw 28, a foot rest 29 of a size and shape adapting it to fit and rest upon the back of an auto mobile seat.

When the cot is unfolded to its full functional position, as in Fig. I, the side rails 1 are separated by their full distance, and are extended to their full len th their hinge joints 3 being then locke rigidly. The canvas 2 is stretched taut between the rails for its full-length. The three bail-like legs extend downwardly perpendicular to the cot surface, and support the cot, said legs bein held rigid by their meeting bevels an their keepers which control their 'middle joints. The cot may now be used either as a sleeping cot or as a litter, or may be swung like a couch hammock. To use it as an automobile cot, as indicated in Fig. 8, the foot rests 29 are applied to the leg 18 and are adjusted properly as to depth. These foot rests 29 now rest upon the back 30 of the front seat of an automobile, while the rails 1 at the other end'of the cot rest upon the back 31 of the rear seat of the automobile. The back of the front seat being lower than the back of the rearseat, the out is leveled by adjusting the depth of the foot rests 29, and the varying distances between the backs of the two seats of different automobiles is provided for by the sliding adjustment of the leg 18 which carries the foot rests29.

By turning the brackets 27- in their sockets 25, and by turning the foot rests 29 on the brackets, the rests may be separated to a eater distance between them,

thereby gettm a more extensive bearing E rails; foot rests associated with one end of on the seat bac To fold the cot, it is inverted, and after sliding back'the keepers of all the le the cain'vas is seized by its middle. and awn. Qiu'the side rods toward each other,,fl2e eg b or flexing at their middle joints, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7.' Then the canvas isLrolle/d down to therails which are now near toether, as in Fig. 7, and the three legs are olded down flat on the canvas and rails, Then therails are folded on their joints 1- so that they inclose the folded legs am canvas between their sections. In this fold ing, the foot rests 29 are so manipulated by removal and readjustment as to pack nicel in the bundle. I claim 1. A folding cot comprising side rails; a

legs. and rails adapting the legs to fold on the rails; joints in the legs adapting them to flex and draw the rails toward each other; and means for locking said joints when the legs are extended to hold the rails apart.

2. A folding cot comprising side rails; a supporting fabric carried b said rails; hinge joints in the rails adaptm their sections to fold upon each other; a atch upon one member of each hinge joint and a keeper upon the other member with which the latch engages, said latches and keepers bein positioncd to interengage and'rigidly the sections of the rails against superimposed pressure when said sections are in extended alinement, and to separate in the act of folding said sections; legs transversely disposed between the rails; pivotal connections between the legs and rails adapting the legs to fold on the rails; joints in the legs adaph ing them to flex and draw the rails toward each other; and means for locking said joints when the legs are extended to hold the rails apart? v 3. A folding cot comprising foldable side rails; a supporting fabric carried by. said rails; foot rests associated with one end of the cot; and means for adjusting said rests perpcndicularly'to the rails and fabric.

4. A folding cot comprising foldable side rails; a supporting fabric carried by said .rails; foot rests associated with one end of the cot; and means for adjusting said rests longitudinally 'of the rails and fabric.

5. A folding cot comprisinggfoldable side rails; a supporting fabric carried by said rails; a supporting fa no carried by said lfifi ape-em rails; transversely disposed jointed and :fuldable 1e carried by the rails; vertically and rotata l y ried by one of the legs near one end of the cot; and foot rests removably and adjustably fitted on said brackets.

7. A folding out comgrising foldable side rails; a supporting fa ric carried b said rails; transversely disposed 'oin and foldable le carried by the mi 3; vertically and rotata 1y adjustable angle brackets carried by one of the legs near one end of the adjustable angle brackets can cot; foot rests removlbly and adixustably fitted on said brackets; and brac et 00111180- tions between said leg and the rails adjust- 15 able longitudinally on the rails.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the preseneeof two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN LENARD STUART.

Witnesses:

WM. F. D. B. RICHARDS. 

